The Last Sword Standing...

She was the Samurai's daughter. Her features were the divine features of a Samurai's daughter...the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, and the way she fought. She wasn't mediocre in her ways, she considered herself as "royalty." She was a team leader, a teacher, a trend-setter, and also a living book of wisdom, using the proverbs that had been passed down to her by her Father.

But tonight she felt extremely different. She found herself running in the thickness of the dark night, she ran through trails in the midst of thick dark forests, through long bushes as tall as trees. She kept on running, trying desperately to get away from the evil clutches of the intruder. She looked back for a split second and he was only 5 inches from her face, being a very fast runner too. She took out the yari (spear) and threw it at him. Only a part of his long kimono was cut off, his flesh wasn't touched so he kept chasing her.

She dived into the blue waters in front of her, for it was the only way she knew. She had learned to be a good swimmer as a young child, it was one of the things a Samurai's daughter had to learn. She turned back swiftly, but he was still there swimming like the swiftest shark...coming real close. So she took out her tanto (dagger) and flung it towards his direction. She smiled for a quick second, until she saw his head resurface. No, he wasn't dead yet. So she kept wading.

She came out, and a tall big mountain stood in front of her. So she started climbing. She was a mountain climber from her teenage years, infact she was familiar with this particular mountain, she knew all it's rough surfaces like the back of her experienced hands. She looked down, she was getting furious...he was still there. Climbing to get her. She stopped for a second and threw down her yumi, a composite bow made from bamboo, wood, rattan, and leather, used by all Samurai warriors. He dodged it and kept climbing. She started doing what she called "mountain gallops," a technique used to get to the top faster. Then suddenly, she reached the peak. She stood tall as she felt her Father's spirit fighting with her. She looked at the last sword standing. The strongest of all the Samurai's weapons, the 'double-katana,' the only sword that was double-edged. It had a deadly effectiveness, no one could stand before the sword. But if you didn't use it the right way, it could kill you too. She heard her Father's voice saying, "hold it strongly and lift your head up proudly!" As soon as he reached where she was, she pierced the sword into the most deadly area of his body, and as soon as she did so, the fight was over. She sank to the ground as she realized she needed to stop running now...

This story is only a story I construed of how a Samurai's daughter ended up using her most powerful weapon against her enemy (the weapons are the real names of weapons used by Samurai war lords). But stretch your imagination...you also have a Father who has given you your most powerful weapon. As you walk through the journey of life with each passing moment, He is constantly teaching you how to use this weapon. As you make hard choices in life, you are using this weapon. Your weapon has been, and still will be the most powerful response to an intruder. Your weapon is the WORD OF GOD!. You need to use it. You need to learn how to use the weapon. If you don't know how to use your Father's weapon, then you can't be recognized as your Father's daughter (or son). Pray that God teaches you how to use His weapon (His Word) as your most powerful weapon...more importantly (as the life of a stranger pointed out), we must not resort to using the word of God as our last weapon (last sword standing), instead we must use our most effective weapon FIRST!!!

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

The picture on the top right is courtsey of the cutting edge cutlery